STATE SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26263, 7 November 1950, Page 6

STATE SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS

MR JUSTUS BONN’S VIEWS If the people of New Zealand supported the arts with one-quarter of the amount they spent on the races they would not feel it, and they wquld improve the cultural standards in the country to a very great extent. This opinion was expressed yesterday by Mr Justus Bonn, the leading tenor in the Netherlands State Opera. Mr Bonn is at present on a world concert tour and has visited the Far East, including Malaya and Singapore, and Australia. He is at present engaged by the National Broadcasting Service for a number of concerta with the Na; tional Orchestra, the first of which will be presented at the Civic Theatre this evening. He believed that the reason the people of New Zealand were so interested in the races was that they had nothing else to concentrate on. Mr Bonn said. “I was surprised to read in a newspaper a suggestion that the National Orchestra should be self-sup-porting," he said. “This is the wrong attitude; no cultural organisation can support itself. It must be easy for a rich country like New Zealand to support two national orchestras." Holland, with a population of 10,000,000, supported at least 24 orchestras, apart from the five bigi radio orchestras. Every city as big as Christchurch had its own modern, full-size orchestra, and the State Opera also had its own orchestra. Painters also were supported by the State. They were paid a weekly allowance and their work was bought by the State and the cities for public buildings. The cities also bought sculptures by local artists for their buildings, parks, and bridges. There was even a Ministry for Science and Arts.

Mr Bonn had his first rehearsal with the National Orchestra yesterday. He said he thought the standard was very good for a young orchestra, and he exoected that in tne future it -would be the best orchestra in the southern hemisphere. The Netherlands Opera was formed in 1938 and has played all over the Continent. Mr Bonn, who has been with the opera since it was formed, said it had never played to anything but a full house. Onera still had a good future ahead ,of it, he said. There were a number of good modern operas, particularly those of Benjamin Britten, which were famous all over Europe.